Charles Pierce: …. As to the argument that the president “didn’t want this” to open up in an election year, I think he did. It’s too perfect an ending to the narrative of his “evolving position” that he’s been talking about for three years. He saw a clear injustice — the North Carolina vote — and he decided that his conscience would brook no more delay. Look at how carefully he wove his support of marriage equality into the fabric of everything else he’d done for the cause of equality since he’s been president.

He talked about how our men and women in the armed forces (you know, the gay ones who can serve openly because he ended Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell, and who can get married in Massachusetts and Hawaii because he told his Justice Department not to pursue cases under the Defense of Marriage Act) shouldn’t be denied a right that we all have — to marry — just because they’ve left the killing fields.

…. I think both the Biden and Duncan interviews were long-range reconnaissance, and I think he got the information he wanted. I have my differences with this president, god knows, but this is one thing of which I am certain: He does absolutely nothing by accident. He has spent his entire life learning how to take cautious, considered steps. He’s damned good at it by now.

…. All of which is not to diminish what an authentic act of political courage this actually is. The dingbats will scream and fling their poo to all points of the compass …. even I can’t be cynical enough to deny that most of the reasons that the president said what he did today he said because he is a child of the civil-rights movement, someone whose fundamental ethics and whose most basic view of this country were formed as a result of the crucible through which the country passed in those years, and I believe he saw that denying gay couples the right to marriage when they contribute so much to so many areas of society was simply the right thing to do.

….. we all had a good laugh at his “evolving position on it,” but don’t we want our presidents to be thoughtful, to be open to new data and new perpectives, and new ways of thinking about things? …..I can tell you that, in my lifetime, I have had my fill of rigid presidents.

….a better and fairer country awaits ….I’m prouder to be driving through this country than I was this morning, that’s for sure.

Liberal Librarian: President Obama has evolved to embrace everyone’s basic human right to marry the person they love. Mitt Romney has devolved from a moderate Republican to a puppet of the Koch Bros and the Tea Party. Enough said.

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See ThinkProgress for more, these are just fantastic – thank you DesertFlower

(This video cuts at the critical moment, see the video below for the rest of what the President said)

President Obama endorses same-sex marriage in an interview with ABC News:

“I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”

Steve Benen: A full transcript of the president’s remarks is not yet available, but ABC’s report noted that Obama went on to say he talked with First Lady Michelle Obama about his position, and reflected on his views as they relate to his family’s Christianity: “We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids and that’s what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I’ll be as president.”

Hi everyone, really sorry for the lack of updates today, work has just been a bit on the crazy side. Will catch up later.

It’s been weird and wacky the last 24 hours, we’ve had a flood of ‘new’ people trying to comment on the blog. Many of them have been previously blocked here, for trying to post a whole pile of anti-PBO crap, and are now back under new names pretending to be ‘concerned’ supporters. 🙄

I’m no Einstein, but sheesh, I’m not that stupid.

It’s funny, these creatures obviously monitor the blog, and as soon as they spot any sign of division they try to pounce. They must have very full lives.

For genuine newcomers who want to join in on the chat, please check the ‘How do I comment here’ link on the right sidebar. And please understand why I have to be sure you’re not a troll before letting your comments through, I don’t want this place infested by Fire/Teabaggers.

The quickest way to show you’re not a troll is by signing in with a frequently-used Twitter account, it just makes it easier to tell if you’re here to spread nonsense or smartness 😉

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Several gazillion thank yous to those who emailed me yesterday and today, I promise I’ll reply asap

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Don’t forget, 7:15 ET tonight, the President and Michelle Obama host a concert honoring Burt Bacharach and Hal David at the White House. It’s not listed – yet – on the White House live page, but CNN have it on their live streaming schedule. Hopefully we’ll get to see it?